The SPAN study began in 2007 with about 1,600 people in middle age. It now follows 500 of them as they enter the grandparent years. Researchers in the St. Louis area study how grandparents and grandchildren talk and how these talks have changed over time.
The team asked grandparents which topics they discuss with grandchildren and to compare current talks with what they remember discussing with their own grandparents. They found this generation talks much more than earlier ones. Longer lifespans and more communication technology have made grandparents easier to reach. Digital contact was the most common way generations communicated, and calling or texting older adults can be valuable. The study also found gender and cultural differences in topics.
Difficult words
- generation — people born around the same time period
- lifespan — the length of a person's lifelifespans
- technology — machines and tools used for practical purposes
- digital — using computers or electronic devices
- communicate — to share information or ideas with otherscommunicated
- gender — the social roles of men and women
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How do you contact your older family members?
- Why might longer lifespans change family conversations?
- What topics do you like to discuss with older relatives?
Related articles
Questions over a Sheikh and a family office in Hong Kong
A visitor described as Sheikh Ali Rashed Ali Saeed Al Maktoum said he would open a family office in Hong Kong and invest a large sum. Media and investigators later raised doubts about his identity and links; the government and the US SEC have warned.
Low pesticide exposure speeds aging in fish
Researchers found that long-term exposure to low levels of a common agricultural insecticide caused faster physiological aging and shorter lifespans in wild and laboratory fish. The study links telomere shortening and lipofuscin buildup to chlorpyrifos exposure.